Levada do Risco (PR 6.1): the short waterfall walk at Rabaçal
The short one at Rabaçal: 3 km along a levada at 1,000 m to a waterfall that drops in a single white line over dark rock. It shares its start with the Levada das 25 Fontes, and almost everyone walks both.
- Status
- OpenOpen. IFCN table dated 14 September 2026 · checked by islandmadeira.com 24 September 2026 at 21:19, Madeira time.Fetch the current trail status from the IFCN page; one live request per 30 minutes for the whole site, otherwise the last check is shown.
- Length
- 3 km (+ 3 km back)IFCN table, Rabaçal to Risco.
- Time on the board
- 2 hOne way, as printed on the panel at the start.
- Lowest point
- 1,000 m
- Start and finish
- Rabaçal (ER105) to Risco viewpointFrom the route board at the start.
- Fee
- €4.50 per person, booked onlineBooking on the SIMplifica portal, fees as of 2 June 2026. Free for children aged 12 or under, for Madeira residents with their resident card and citizen card, and for anyone with a disability of 60% or more plus one companion. All of them still need a booking.
- At the start
- parking, café, toilets, shelter, information board, viewpoint at Rabaçal
Warnings come from IPMA by zone, not by trail. A yellow warning for fog, wind or thunderstorms is a reason to check the route status and the sky before you set off, and the forest service closes paths on its own schedule. Station readings.
What it is
PR 6 and PR 6.1 leave the same point on the ER105 and drop together to the Rabaçal shelter. There they split. Two parallel levadas, at different heights.
PR 6.1 takes the higher one, the Levada do Risco at 1,000 m, and ends at the viewpoint over the Risco waterfall.
The board gives 3 km and 2 hours one way. The IFCN table counts the same 3 km back again, so a there-and-back walk is 6 km.
Doing it with 25 Fontes
This is the usual pairing, and the walk down from the road serves both. The 25 Fontes route is the longer one at 4.3 km each way, and it now runs one way with a separate return path.
If you have half a day, take Risco first and the 25 Fontes levada after. Our page on the Levada das 25 Fontes has that route's board figures and its status.
What the fee works out at
Most classified routes cost €4.50 per person, booked online on the SIMplifica portal. PR 1 is the exception at €10.50. A day ticket for two or more routes is €9.00.
So Risco and 25 Fontes on the same day cost €9.00 whichever way you buy them. The day ticket only starts saving from a third route. It never covers PR 1.
Children aged 12 or under go free. So do Madeira residents with their resident card and citizen card, and anyone with a disability of 60% or more plus one companion. Everyone still registers and books, including the free tickets.
At the start
Rabaçal has parking, a café, toilets, a shelter, an information board and a viewpoint. That is more than most starts on the island give you.
The walk in from the road loses height you climb again at the end of the day.
Guided walks on this route
- PR6 Levada Wood : Rabaçal - 25 SourcesSmall-group walk that takes in 25 Fontes and the Risco waterfall. From €65 per adult, 7 hours. 4.61/5 from 46 reviews, combined Viator and Tripadvisor; on Viator alone 4.7 from 18 reviews.
- 25 Fountains Levada: Hiking Tour in Madeira Rabaçal Valley (PR6)25 Fontes walk that adds the Risco waterfall. From €48 per adult, 7 hours. 4.70/5 from 203 reviews, combined Viator and Tripadvisor; on Viator alone 4.7 from 118 reviews.
- Walk with a localWalk with a local; the Monday walk covers both levadas, 11 km. From €50 per adult, 4 hours to 6 hours. 4.96/5 from 67 reviews, combined Viator and Tripadvisor; on Viator alone 5.0 from 27 reviews.
Prices and ratings as of 21 September 2026. All guided levada walks in Madeira →
Routes next door
Levada das 25 Fontes PR 6
open4.3 km (+ 4.3 km back), Rabaçal to 25 Fontes
Levada do Alecrim PR 6.2
open3.5 km (+ 3.5 km back), Rabaçal to the levada spring
Levada Velha do Rabaçal PR 6.4
open5 km, Pico Gordo to Casa do Rabaçal
Status from the IFCN table, re-read at every build and again in your browser.
Questions before you go
How long is the Levada do Risco walk?
3 km to the viewpoint, and the board allows 2 hours one way. The IFCN table counts the same 3 km back, so a there-and-back walk is 6 km.
Is PR 6.1 open?
The status panel at the top of this page carries the current reading from the forest service table, with the date of that table. Check it before you drive up.
Can I do Risco and 25 Fontes together?
Yes, and most people do. Both start from the same point on the ER105 above the Rabaçal shelter, then split onto two levadas at different heights.
How much does it cost?
€4.50 per person for this route, booked online on SIMplifica. Two routes in a day cost €9.00 either way, so the day ticket only saves from the third. Children aged 12 or under, residents with both cards, and anyone with a 60% disability plus a companion go free, and still book.
What is at Rabaçal?
Parking, a café, toilets, a shelter, an information board and a viewpoint. The walk down to the shelter from the road has to be climbed again on the way out.
Is there a guided walk that includes the Risco waterfall?
Yes. Three of the walks we have published take it in alongside 25 Fontes, and they are listed on this page with their prices and ratings.
Sources
- IFCN, table of classified routes: status and length. IFCN table dated · checked by islandmadeira.com ; re-read every few hours.
- IFCN, route board PR 6.1 at the start of the route: distance, time, heights, description and cautions, read 20 September 2026.
- IFCN, fees and bookings FAQ, updated 2 June 2026, read 14 September 2026.
- Viator, tour prices, ratings and programmes, as of 21 September 2026.
Who checked this
Roman Antonov, editor. The status comes from the forest service table, the figures from the board at the start of the route and the fee rules from the IFCN FAQ, each with its date above. If something on the ground has changed, tell me.
Tour links go to Viator, where we may earn a commission at no cost to you. It does not change which walks are listed. How we earn.